Knitting machine



D. S. SPEESE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8. 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 216, 1924 D.s.sPEEsE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. a. 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 26 1924. 1,485,056

D.S.SPEESE KITTING-MACHINE Filed Nov.A 8, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 D. S. SPEESE KNITTING MACHINE Feb. 2.5, 1924. 1,485,056

Filed Nov. 8, 1920 -8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q//Q/ CSI/066.5@

l Feb. 26 1924. v 1,485,056

D. s. sPEEsl-z KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8. 1920 62 @nvm/woz D. s. sPEEsE KNITTING MACHINE Feb. ze ,A1924 Filed Nov. 8. 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 61 Jja/We/ 5,0663@ www@ D. S. SPEESE KNITTING MACHINE Feb. 26 1924. l 1,485,056

Filed Nov. '8, 1920 8 Smets-sheet v :im t IW w reame@ ree. ae, ieee.

,aree e mesme Damm s. srn'nsn, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

v Km'rrme- MACHINE.'

' application med November s, 1920. semi No. ceases;

fication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. 10 z In the' art `of knitting hosiery` circular knitting machines are employedl for -producing tubular fabric-of different weaves and such weaves are characterized by the threads thereof extending in circumferential or '15 longitudinal directions, particularly the laty ter wherein chain stitc ing 'produces a hosiery fabric that may be comparatively y thin and conformable to various shapes when placed in use. `This is Yespecially true in silk 2o stockings and it is a well known fact that when .a thread is worn or accidentally sevv .credit will leave a longitudinal gap 1n the fabricwhich'tends to elongate as the fabric is' used. Furthermore, the severing of a se 4longitudinal thread in a chain stitch fabric releases vmany other threads so that the end of a narrow' gap often widens into a large gap or hole and this is very pronounced in Womens hosiery. yWhen the threads extendl so Yin a circumferential direction a somewhat similar gap may occur'if the ,thread is worn or ,broken and when a hole is produced it is dicult to determine just how large it will eventuallylbe unless immediately mended, to

thus prevent running of the hole. U

rl`he paramountobject of my invention is to provide a fabric'so knitted that should one of the threads thereof Vbe Worn or broken it 'ce will be held against unraveling, therebypre# ventinga gap or hole that can run;and temporarily, if not completely, destroy the appearance of the fabric.- This object of my invention is attained byA a fabric having threads extending in diagonal' directions and closely knittedin contradistinction to threads `which extend longitudinallyor circumferentially of a piece of tubular fabric, and in knitting the diagonally disposed threads 5G they are so interlocked or articulated that it isV practically impossible for the end of the gather or connect the released threads and` rocate relative to eac other without being thread to Work out ofthe fabric and-leave agap orvlarge hole. By resorting to knitted diagonal threads it is possible to use la stitch- 'ing which causesa multiplicity of threads to bind against each other and it is the surface friction of the threads and the many turns or twists of the same that will prevent the end l' of any release thread from leasing other threads. hole in a piece of fabric is only enlargedby being actually worn to such enlargement.

To lproduce an unraveling piece of tubular fabric such as briefly .mentioned above, I employ a novel circular knitting machine, and the machine may be characterized in the following particulars.V

running or referentially `'arranged needles having hook bllls or barbs that are automaticallyv closed by presser members so that theneedles may gather, draw, or pull one or more threads loop.- Associated with these needles are sinkers or jacks together with a novel mech'- anism for operating the sinkersl and needles in timed relation.

Second," there are outer and inner oscilla- Atory guides which are circumferentially vguides lof former machines which arey circumferentially. arran ed and simply recip- ,carried in a circumferentialpath. The mechanism employed permits .of the inner and outer guidesbeing oscillatory, re-4 ciprocated, and bodily shifted circumferentially of the axis of the machine in such In other words a- First, there are reciprocatory .circuminto a looped formation, and through another 7J @it l timed relation that all Iof the inner and outer 'Y guides may cooperate with the reciprocatory needles in knitting threads into a tubular fabric having an unravable weave. Y

Third, vthere is an organization of instrumentalities which cooperate in providing a machine that is compact without being unaccessible when parts of the machine are to lbe repaired or defective threads removed. @n account of the construction of the Vnia-- y l111-1111 or rig. 1,

' Fig. 7 is a side elevation of al ratchet 'I line ll--ll of Fig. 1;

broken away 'ogy of the kniting art,

chine it is thought-best to consider the saine under'the following? captions, namely fabric; reciprocatory needles; sinlrers VIVor jacks.; needle pressure members; outer guides; and inner guides, together general operation or the machine.

Reference will now be had to the drawings,Wherein` f Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional View of the upper portion of the knitting machine;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the' and taken on the same, partly broken away,

Fig. 3 is a similar viev taken on the line Figa is a plan othemachind. partly and partly in section; Y Fig. 5 is a horizontalsectional view oct the machine, showing 'the cam lay out and thel timed cooperation of. various parts of the machine;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan oiffa portion of the machine, Ashowing a few of the sinlrers or jacks relative to the' reciprocatory needles and a knitted fabric;

mechanism forming part of ,the machine;

Fig- 8 is a view ot a series of needles and guides showing, on a large scale, the manner in which threads are knitted; Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a presser ,member may cooperate with a needle in permitting the' needle to 'draw or loop; Y

Fig. 10 isf a similar view showing the needle at further step in its operation;

` Figs.l 11 to l5 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating the movement or" guides and the manner -in which threads are knitted;

Fig. 16 is a View of a piece oi fabric on an enlarged scalev with the iabric stretched or loose to shew the manner in which threads are knitted,A this view permitting of threads beingtraced throughout the aloric;

Fig. 1'? is a View of a piece oi' fabric show;

ing one face thereof greatly magnified toillustrate a surface produced by threads; and 'f Fig; 18 is a similar vieriT of the reverse face of the piece of fabric. f o ln 'describing my invention by aid of the `views above reerred to, l desire to point out that the same are intended as merely illustrative of a macl-`ne by which my inventionmay lie put into practice, and l do not care to confine myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts, other than delined by thel appended claims.'

Furthermore, .the glossary or terms will conform as near as possible to the terminolbutin describing ltnitted withv a resume of the.

' invention resides in the upper pullA threads vthrough av out some of the threads inFig. 16,

i ,esente certain actions oit the machine or parte there et as being clochvvisacountercloclrvvise; ceru ltain threads as being diagonahand certain the drawings, whereas in actual practice,

'certain vmovements may be the reverse of those to be hereinaterf described; certain elements may have other'mechanical equivalents, and the fabricmay have stitches somewhat different, particularly when various grades and styles `or hoisery are to-be knitted.

As pointed out inthe beginning, my niachine is of the circular type and since my portion of the machine, l have deemed it unnecessary to show all the accessories for the machine, for instance, .the thread bobbins and the power for operating the machine, stood that allot1 the missing accessories Will be provided in order that the machine may produce fabric in acordance with 'my invention.

Fabric and its torture.

(Figs. 8 to 18 inclusive.)y

pposite faces of a piece of fabric have been greatly enlarged or magnified in Figs. 17 and 18, and in the former it will be noted that the majority of the threads are diagonally 'disposed or at an angle to an imaginary longitudinal line of the fabric, and this is -in contradistinction to threads that have heretofore/extended either circumferentially or longitudinally of the fabric when having a tubular form such as knitted in my machine, The reverse face of the fabric has an overlapped loop conformation and by reiferenceio Fig. 16' it Will be noted that each loop is composed of two threads which more or less coincide hy providing loops A. and li 'that may be in parallel relation or one Within theother according to the manner in which the threads set when being ll() Y knitted. rlhe loop B has. its'end threads alining and in the same plane as the loop but at an'angle to the major anis of the loop, and the Aadjacent loop A has similar ends D but with said ends at a reverse angle to the ends ot7 the loop B. The sets of loops are in close formation with the last knitted loop overlapping the previously knitted loops so thatl the ends C and E 'of one set o-f loops may pass through the large end through ends Will be found in the large end of the loop before the ends of the loop diverge to enter remoteloops. Following it will be noted that the diverging ends of loops in one row pass over the loops of an adjacent row and enter the loops of the nent lot an adjacent loop and these passing row, there being vertical and circumferential rows of loops lwith the diagonal threads 'forming loops in each of the superposed rows and it is in this manner that the threads are diagonally or spirally disposed about ,a tubularpiece of fabric instead'of being in lateralor vertical planes relative to the axis of the tubular fabric.

Figs. 16, 17 and 18 clearly disclose texture of the y.fabric and Figs. 8 to 15 will again be considered in connection with needle and guide operations, as it is some of the guides which conduct threads diagonally of the fabric .and in opposite directions, while other needles form the loops, so that should a thread be wornor severed, it will have prevented from unravelling. Even `should a released thread worm its way out of-the loops, there is no vwide gap or pronounced hole that 'will cause other-threads to be released and the hole enlarged. This is the reatdi-ierence between my hosiery fabric and `that fabric nowl used for womens stockings.

Reez'procatory needles md-the operating mechanism therefor.

(Figs. 1 and 2.)

The reference numeral tal for the lower portion-of the machine and detachably connected thereto is va tubular vertically disposed hea-d 2 through which Aat ' clamping ring revoluble and the tubular fabric passes as fast as it 1s knitted at the. upper end of the head,.this fabric being weighted, in the usual manner, so that it' will pass through the-head and vpermit vofknitting operations being carried on above the head.

At the juncture of the pedestal 1 and the head. 2 there is an annular support for 4a cam platform 3 having annularv cams Ll, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and said cam platform is has movement imparted thereto by a driven pinion 9 meshing with a rack 10 carried Aby the'flower face of the cam platform 3.

Thehead basin like guide 11 above the platform 3 and slidable on. said head above the guide 11 is a needle cylinder 12 provided vwith de-I pending rods 13 extending through the guide 11 with casters or anti-frictional rollers 14 on the lower ends thereof` tov ride on'the annular cani 4, said cani having two rises or peaks, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the needle cylinder 12 may be raised twice during each rotation of the cam platform 5. The needle cylinder 12 has a detachable -screwed or otherwise mounted thereon' and said ring is connected to the guide. 11 by twoor more retractile springs 16, the retractile Aforce of said springs maintaining the casters 14 constantly on the cylinder 12 in in either-Fig. 8 or Fig. 9,`

y by the hook-vend of the needle.`

. its ends held by the adjacent loops and be 1 denotes a pedesv2 is provided with an integral annular cam 4 of vthe cam platform 3. The clamping ring 15 cooperates with the holding the sockets 17 of a multiplicity .of circumferentially arrangedl needles 18, said-needles extending upwardly atan acute angle Vrelative to the fwalls of the head 2. One of the needles isvbest shown where `it will be the vupper end of the needle beard 19 with its bill 20 in ,observed Athat has a hook or proximity to provide anv entrance into the loop formed or beard is yieldable or resilient relative to the needle shank and may be pressed towards .the'needle shank to contact therewith,'as'4 shown in Fig. 9, and thus close the hook` end of the needle, which is employed for loop gathering, as will hereinafter appear.

Sinkers o1' yr'acs and the-'operating mecha,-

miem therefm.

(Figs. 1, and 2.)

end of the head 2 is amultiplicity of radially disposed slots 22 through which protrude theI hook ends of the needles 18; The lower edges ofthe slotted collar walls are provided with 'apertured lugs and pivotally connected t0 said lugs, as' at 23, are a multiplicity of Fixed on the upper a collar 21 having vcircumferentially arranged sinkers or ]acks 24 which are tiltableV in unison and are operatable in slots-of the collar 21. 'Each jack is somewhat in the form of a bell crank having a short hook shaped arm 25 and a long bearing arm 26, the bearing arm of said jack extending into an annular channel member 27 having depending rods 28 extending through the guide 11 and provided with castors v or anti-frictional rollers'29 riding on the cam 5 of the cam platform 3. The castors or rollers 29` are normally retained in engagement with the cam 5 by the retrattile force of springs 39 connecting the channel member' 27 to the guide 11.

As brought out in Fig. 5 the sinkers or jacks are actuated four times during each rotation ofthe cam platform 3. and during certain stages ,of the knitting operation the sinkers or jacks engage the fabric, in Fig. 6, and prevent the uppermost threads of thefabric from slipping upwardly while other portions of the threads are knitted or manipulated.

"Presser members ami the operating mechamism therefor. (Figs. 1 and 2.)

rl`he annular upstanding wall 31 of the basin like guide 11 is provided with an inwardly projecting annular flange 32 having radially disposed grooves 33 for presser bars or members 3&1, and these members have studs shank of the vhookVso. as to The hook ini as shown l is.

n ill,

extending into tangentially disposedv slots 36 in'an annular member shifting plate 37, said plate being seated on the flange '32 and held thereon by a retaining ring 38, best shown in Fig. 2, One' edge of the member shifting plate 37' has a segment-'rack 39 cX- tendingthrough a. slot in the `wall 31, and when the membershifting platef37 is shifted on the flange 32`the presser. members 34 are 'simultaneously shifted in radial directions.

The presser 1nembers'34 have angular inner ends, as best shown in Figs. l and .9, and when the reciprocatory needles 18 have crossed or intersecting threads in the hooks thereof, the presser members are adaptedv t'o impinge against the hooks 19 and closel the bills 2O thereof4 relative to said needles..V

This is necessary in order that the needles when being lowered, may pass through previously formed looped portions of theabrio and form another loop,\as best shown in Fig. lO. lAsbrought outin Jllig. 8 the loops A. and B are always in engagement withthe reciprocatory needle 18 and the previously formed loops are connected b the diagonally disposed threads D and The operating mechanism for radially shifting the presser members, 34 is actuated from thecam 6 and includes the following elements Suitably attached to the basin like guide 11 are bearings 41 and 42, the former being at the inner side of the ca-In 6 and the latter directly above said cam. Pivotally connected to the lower end of the bearing 41 is a segmentrack 43 having an antidrictional roller stud 44 constantly maintained in engagement with the cam 6 by the retractile force o" a spring 45 connecting the vsegment rack 43 to the bearing 4l. lideshing with the segment rack 43 isv a pinion 46 mounted on the lower end of a shaft 47, journaled in the bearing 42. and the upper end of the shaft 47 has a pinion lmesh ing with theraclr 390i the member'shiiting plate 37. As brought out in Fig. 5, the presser members are actuated twice during each rotation of the cam 6.

Outer iw-earl guides.

(Fig. l and The annular wall 3l or the guide. ll aflords a seat for a rotatable horizontally disposed annular lower trame 49 which is retained on the upper edges ot the wall 3l by a retaining plate Osuitably secured to the wall 3l. The lower face of 'the frame 49 has a rack 5i and said rack isadapted to be 'intermittently actuated by a ratchet. mechanism associated with the cam 7. said ratchet mechanism including the following construction.

Journaled in the whll 3l is a short shaft 52 having its inner end provided with a pinion rality oitl ineeose trame 49. On the outer end of the shaft 52 isa gear whe-el 54 meshing with a large gear wheel '55 having its hub portion rotatable on .a stud 56 supported from the wall 31. The liubportion of the large gear wheel 55 has an integral ratchet wheel 57 and loose on the stud 56 is an arm 58 provided with a. spring pressed. the ratchet wheel 57. rllhis is best shown in l `ig. 7 where it will be vnoted that the arm l 5S has a crank 60 extending into the upper Vslotted end 61 of a rod 62 slidable in the.

bearing 42.and has its lower end provided lwith a castor oranti-frictional roller 63 constantlyengaging the cam V7' of lthe nam platform ,3. Alcoiledretractile spring 64 ,associated with the bearing 42 andthe rod 62 maintains the castoror anti-frictional roller 63- on the cam 7, and' by reference to F ig.

l5 it will be noted that' this cam' has a plurality of rises or pea-ks for actuating the ratchet mechanism Aand imparting .an inten,

mit-tent movement ofthe lower frame 49.

0n the inner edge of the lower frame 49 are a plurality of posts65 and suitablyconnected. to said posts is a guide ring 66 which has its inner wall provided with a multiplicity ofdepending` guide bearings 67 and these bearings are set into'the inner wall of the ring 66 and detachablv retained therein,

by anotherfring 68. Heldin the ring 68 in place is an upper trame. 69 aving a portionthereof set. in the ring 66 and secured therein by screws, 70 extending into annular groove in the ring "68.

The guide bearings 67 are lapertured, as at 7l, to permit ot threads entendin therethrough. rlhe lower ends of said guide bearings are bit'urcated and providedwith pivot pins for the sockets 72 of outer uides 73.

.pawl 59 normally engaging VnieV rl`l1e outer guides 73" are circum erentially arranged and converge inwardly towards the upper end of the head 2 with each guide.

having an eye in its lower end to receive a thread: The guide sockets 72 have cranks 74 extending into the annular groove 75 of on the lower, frame 49 and slidable on a pluguide pins 77 carried by thelower table 49.

The intermediate frame 76 i; somewhat in an intermediate frame 76 normally resting The lower ends of the rods 81.- are provided with castors or anti-frictional rollers 83 normally engaging the cam Set the cam platform. As shown in F ig. ,5 the cam 8 has diametrically opposed rises or peaks so that i so termedie the intermediate. frame v76 may be :raised twice during each rotation of the cam platform 3.

So far it will be observed that the lower frame 49 may be intermittently -moved in circumferential direction and bodily carry with it the nest ,of outer guides 73 and that when said guides are at rest the intermediate frame 76 may-'be raised, by virtue ofthe cam 8 and the rods 81, to oscillate the guides 7 3.

'll/nner. guides and the 'operating 'mechanism therefor. (Figs: land a.) The upper frame 69 previously referred to has its inner edge provided with converging brackets 84 fand -pivotally mounted on said bracketsare the sockets85 of. circum- I ferentially arranged inner depending needles 86 said needles having the lower endsl into an annular channel member 89 which normallyrests on the upper frame 69 but is suitably attached to rods -90 extending through `the upper frame 69 and provided with shoes 91 riding on an annular rail 92 supported from and above .the intermediate frame 76.. lt yis now apparent that when 'the intermediateframe 76 vis elevated through the medium of the rod 81 and the cani 8 thatl therods 90 may slide through the upper frame 69 and elevate the channel member 89, so that the guide sockets 85 will be rocked 'and the depending inner guides 88 shifted towards the outer guides 78.

in order to impart a circumferential movement to all of the inner guides 86 it is necessary 'to revolve the upper frame 89, and

` this is accomplishedby prow'iding the outer edges of 'the upper frame with an internal deep rack 93 with which pinions 94 mesh, said pinions having sliding engagement with the internal rack so that said pinions may be carried by shafts 95 supported by the inframe 78. yllhe shafts 95 are vi frame 78 and the, lower ends of 78. 'The bearings 98 may also n annular thread guide 88 for 'the hich pass through the bearings 87 nudes 73.

ng that the rack 51 is inter @ved bedilyshift the outer a circumferential direction;

ential direction en the lower at the rack 78 is lheid against entrai movement by the rodsl,

^ ineens@ suitable bearings 98 of the in-` s have ninions 97 meshing with4 'erniedia'te frame 78 is carried in and that the shafts 95 are carriedby the in-` termediate frame 76' with the pinions 97 meshingv with the rack 78,'it is apparent that the upper frame 69. will revolve the' guide ring 66 in an'opposite direction from that of the intermedia/te fname 7 6, and .it is through this novel mechanism that the' in! ner andouter guides may bebodilycarried,

step by step, 'in OPPOSite'circumferential directions. The mechanism by whichthis is `accomplished does not interfere with an oscillatory movement being imparted to the innerand outer guldes when at.rest,v and with this understanding of the general construction of the machine the Aoperation will,

now be described by references to Figs.-1,'5,

and 8 to 16' inclusive.

Assuming that all of the guides havebeen threaded and that a ortion of tubular fabric has been previous knitted, as shown in Figs. 6 and8, and-,that the machine isV in o eration, the heck-needles 18 are gradually elevated and itis during such elevation that the inner and outer guides 86'ai1d 73 are shifted in a circumferential direction. For instance, `by reference to Fig. 11, and` the arrows of this gure and Figs. 12 to 15 in` elusive, it will be noted 'that the outer guides 73 may be considered as movable in a counterclo'ckwise direction and the inner guides 86 in `a clockwise direction. The ends of theguides 78 and :86 are in proximity to each other lintwo concentric imaginary circles within a circle formed by the needles 18 and. said Guides are shifted past each other in a defined direction and for a de-` fined distance, the guides being transferred,.

in their closed relation from Within the circle. of the reciprocatoryneedles 18 to without the circle of reciprocatory needles. As before'stated, this circumferential' shifting takes place during the initial upward movement of the reciprocatory needles 18 and the result of such circumferential shifting is shown in Fig. 12.

llhile the reciprocatory needles 18 are still moving upwardly the outer and inner guides 73 and 86 are tilted or oscillated in unison and are shifted from' positions within the nest of reciprocatory needles to posi- Ations outside of the nest, as shwn in Fig. 13.` Such oscillatingor tilting of the inner and outer guides carries the threads between the reciprocatfory needles 18 and crosses the ti reads on the inner walls or within the `nest and shifted to the original positions inside the path of reciprocatory needles, as shown cross threads o Vinexacte in Fig. 15. By reference to lthis figure it will be noted that the threads are crossed at the inner and outer walls of the reciprocatery needles and -by this time said needles have been completely raised andthe oscillatory inner and outer guides come to rest. It is during this period of rest that the reciprocatory needles vare lowered and those n the outer walls ofv said needles caused to enter the hooks of said needles, so that the reciprocatory needles on the downward stroke may pull downwardly on the cross' threads, as .shown in Fig. 10,'

.and forma loop', with the loop passing through a previouslyY formed loop while certainv of the threads are held by the innerl and outer guides. On completion cfa loop, as shown in Fig.' 10, the tubularfabric'ls lowered so that the loops lying over, the up-l per 'rounded edge of the`head2 will be 1n j position to receive newly. formed loops as 'the operation,

just described, is repeated. It has been previously pointed out how the hook bills of the reciprocatory needles 13 are closed to temporarily retain the loops in the hooks while one loop ,is being threaded through a previously formed oop, after which the hook bills are released so that the loops on the needles may be eventually released'to enter intothe piece of the fabric.

. I attach 'considerable importance to the manner in which the inner and outer guides are caused to sashay about the reciprocatory needles, particularly in opposite circumferential directions, as it is by such movements that the threads are not only crossed but knitted in diagonal or spiral directionsin a tubular piece of fabric, 'this being in contra-v distinction to threads which usuallyextend in longitudinal or transverse' directionsV in a piece of fabric. 'p

Considering the texture or knitted design of a piece of fabric produced by my machine, it may be said that the fabric is composed/of transverse rows of lo'opin-loop thread configurations, each configuration being substantially cordate oblong or oval with one end obtusely pointed. vThe configurations of onev row aline with configu-` ration of adjacent rows so that the pointed ends of the configurationsV overlap the large ends offthe configurations, and closely or microsccpically viewing one side of the piece of fabric, it presents somewhat of a shell appearance. Following out the connections between the configurations'A or the directions of threads, itvwill be found that the four configurations, lto remote confi.,

threads Qforming the obtuse end of each configuration extends through the large end of each configuration with the threads entending in diverging directions, across. cent preferably those twice removed t. O directions. From another desc:t Latrae ai e the threads may be considered as extent@ 'form loops.

thenext configurations of the same row, so,

that in either instance, threads are crossed on each configuration, besides being crossed between the configurations. This means there is' a closely knitted interengagement of threads, one binding by surface friction against the other, and shoulda thread be severed, broken or' worn in two, then the loose ends of the threads. will be `held in place by friction contact, against drawing or running, and unravelling, because of handling, is effectually eliminated:

By reference to Figs. 17 and 18 of the drawings it will be noted that the vertical rows of thread configurations are closely bound together,- vwith the threads C and D, and extend in diagonal directions from one vertical row, across adjacent rows, to the`r lfor the reason that the thread configurations are: crowded, one against the other and should the'thread' configuration in one of the vertical rows be broken or disrupted, the threads of such broken configuration cannot work out orrun Those configurations bordering on the broken confi ration cannot spread apart by reason of eing tied by the diagonally disposed threads and since there isno room for a broken configuration to spread, it is obvious that there can be no run Even though a loop is broken or dropped during the knitting, the ends of such loop will be held in place by the cross threads and as long as adjacent loops are not 'materially separated, other loo s will not be dropped or released by the en of the broken loop, therefore the closely knitted typevwherein fabric as it is knit by` needles about said cylinder passes downwardiy along the cylinder and is removed from the -lower portion of the machine, a horizontal rotatable cam platform. about the machine cylinder adapted for reciprocating said needles, inner oscillatory-threaded guides, outer oscillatory threaded guides, means actuated from said cam platform for bodily moving said inner and outer oscillatory guides in opposite circumferential directions ltocross threads at the inner and outer walls of said reciprocatory needles, and means actuatednfrom said cam platformadap d t grap certain of said crossed thrc insane@ l i? formed loop.

4. A tubular fabric knitting machine comprising a cylinder, rotatable operating, means, inner4 guides, outer guides, means actuated twice by'and during one rotation of said operating means for simultaneously oscillating said'yinner and outer guidesy means including avratchet mechanism gactuated by said operating means for `intermittently moving'said guides in synchro,-

-nism, but said outer guides 'in an opposite direction from said inner guides, reciprocatoryv hook needles, means actuated twice! by and during one rotation of said operating means for moving said hook needles to and from said inner and `outer guides to gather "and loop threads held by said inner and outer guides, and means actuated four times by and -during one rotation of said operating means andthrough. which said hook needles extend adapted to hold the previously looped threads during the l operation of said hook needles.

5. ln a tubularfabric knitting machine, the combi-nation of reciprocatory needles! arranged 1n a circle, inner and outer oscillatory. guides adapted to besimultaneously shifted'from within the circle of said reciprocatory needles to without the circle thereof, a rack surrounding the outerends of said outer guides, a rack surrounding the outer ends of said inner guides, means common to said racks adapted to vcircumerentially move said inner and outer guides to cross threads at said reciprocatory needles and between said needles, and means supporting said reciprocatory needles and adapted tobe actuated in timed relation to said inner and outer guides so that crossed threads of said inner and outer guides may be looped and drawn through previously ormed'loops.

in a knitting machine, which has oscillatory and circumferentially movable sets of guides with which needles cooperate in knitting fabric, a lower trame for circumiierentially moving one set orIl guides, an upper frame for circumerentially moving the other ,set of guides, means operatively connecting said frames so'that oneframe may be rotated in an opposite direction from the other frame, and means adapted for simultaneously raising said trames to edect oscillation or said guides.

i". A. hosiery knitting machine comprising eircumerentially disposed inner guides,

i the needle bills,

circumferentially disposed outer' guides, m'eans including rotatable .su erposed frames adapted for simultaneousy oscillating said guides, means including a dif-` ferential double pinion connecting said frames adapted to be actuated to cause the sets of guides to be circumferentially shifted in lopposite directions, the circumferential and oscillatory movement of said guides causing the threads to be crossed, and hook needles' movable to and from said inner and outer guides and adapted to loop v vcrossed portions of `said threads carried by saidinner `and outer guides.

8. In al knitting machine of the cylinder type,I a lower frame, an. intermediate frame, `an upperl frame, inner oscillatory guides supported by said upper frame', outer oscillatory guides supported by said lower'frame independent of` said upper frame, means adapted to move said intermediate frame .and cause theguides of the lower and up per frames to be oscillated, rotating means for said y lower and upper frames, fand needles adapted to cooperate with said in-l ner and .outer oscillatory guides.

9. A knitting machine asf in claim .8, characterized by the lastl mentioned means including a vertically disposed mechanism at one side of said lower frame adapted to intermittently rotate said lower` and ul. per frames.

10A knitting machine as Vin claim 8, characterized by the frame rotating means including racks and pinions having a differential action relative to Vsaid racks for causing said lower and upper frames to rotate in opposite directions.

ll. l'n a knitting machine having needles with some of said needles provided with compressible bills, ina'ns adapted to close comprising radially disposed presser members, a rotatable plate on said presser members having pin and slot connection with said presser members adapted for moving said presser members in synchronism, and means including a rack and cam actuated ratchet mechanism for intermittently rotating said plate.

12. ln a knitting machine, the combination of circumferentially vertically dis- `posed reciprocatory needles, inner guides, outer guides,` cranks supporting the lower ends of said inner and outer guides adjacent said needles, superposed annular chan- ,u

nel members into which said cranks extend, meansadapted for raising and lowering said channel members to cause said guides to be oscillated, and means adapted for rotating 'said channel members.

lf3. A knitting machine as called ier in claim l2, wherein the last mentioned means includes racks and pinions engaging saidracks. and causing one rack to turn in an opposite direction trom the other rack.

rae

l i. naaaozse 14. n a knitting machine having needles be raised anfl lovvered, and means adapted anflinne;` and outer' guidesz-means for for raising and lowerin the rack. 10

bodily oscillating and revolving said innei` In testimony Whereo YI aix my signau l and outerl guides-relative to said needles, ture in presence of two AWitnesses. n 5 said means comprising racks, differential DANIEL SPEESE.

pinions engaging `said racks, lone of said Witnesses: A

pinions being slidable relative to its rack KARL H. BUTLER, w

*Y so that said pinion and the` other rack may ANNA M. Donn. 

